Nissan is Buying Stake in a Formula E Team to Immediately Run at the Front

If you’re going to jump into a racing series, you want to do it right. Nothing is worse than a big-name company making a fool of themselves by spending all kinds of money on developing a car only for it to slap them in the face when they’re running mid-pack at best. Nissan decided they didn’t want to risk it. Nissan decided to buy their way into an already-founded Formula E team.

Yep. Nissan is making a big jump by being the first Japanese manufacturer to take part in FE. Jumping into a series five seasons deep means you’re going to be a little behind the curve in terms of development—so they’re not taking any risks. They’re not going to be the midfield team.

Instead, they’re going to buy stake in the e.dams team now that Alain Prost has decided to check out of the whole deal. It’s not a bad place to start, honestly. Sébastien Buemi, who’s been a member of e.dams since the series’ inception in 2014, has been both a runner-up and a champion. This is the same team that won the first three Team Championships and holds the record for most wins and pole positions.